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Andie stood at the check-out counter, her passport and boarding pass in her hand. Grammy Dean wore her heavily embroidered Mexican dress and looked confused. Her eyes darted around the airport at all the other passengers. “Where are you going, again?” she asked for the fiftieth time.
“To Kenya, Grandma,” Andie said, double checking her boarding pass. New York to Brussels, Brussels to Nairobi. An entire day of travel.
Carol blinked back tears, and Andie did the same. “It’s only for three months. I’ll be back before the harvest.”
Carol grabbed Andie into a tight hug. “Be safe.”
“You, too.” Andie let herself rest against her mom, and for a small moment she was a child again.
Then she turned to her grandmother. She had never thought of Grammy as old or expendable, but looking at her now, a realization struck. Grammy could die. She could possibly die while Andie was in Kenya. The thought washed over Andie and took her breath, and she held Grammy Dean’s small, fragile body in her arms. She stepped away, no longer certain of her plans.
“Go,” Carol said, taking her shoulders and turning her to the long line of passengers waiting to go through security.
Andie thought her mom and grandmother might wait with her, but Carol took Grammy Dean’s arm and led her through the busy airport.
Andie shuffled through security, worrying about exchanging currency, getting transportation—taxis? buses? language? They spoke mostly English, but Andie knew there was English and thousands of variations of English. And what did they eat?
Twenty minutes later, Andie settled back against her chair, gazing at everyone around her. She looked out the window, watched the men in orange and yellow jackets loading the luggage, and tried to imagine everything she would see on her way.
A woman dropped down beside her, gave Andie a friendly nod, and pulled out her iPad.
Andie flipped through her bag and pulled out the book she had bought. Enchanted Kenya: Lake Victoria, Rusinga Island, Ruma National Park. Giraffe, lions, hippos. And Whit.
The sound of his voice startled Andie and the book slipped from her fingers.
“Excuse me,” Whit said to the woman beside Andie. “My girlfriend and I don’t have tickets together, and I wonder if you would mind switching.” He motioned to an empty seat near the bulkhead.
The woman glanced up from her iPad, but her frown faded when she saw all the extra leg room at the proffered seat. She gathered up her things, shot Andie a glance, and eased around Whit.
Andie looked out the window, battling her emotions, trying to sort them into compartments that she could recognize and control. But she couldn’t control Whit, and she couldn’t control the dizzy relief she felt to have him at her side. What would she have done if he hadn’t shown up? How had she known he would? Looking at him, she realized that she had been half holding her breath, waiting for him.
He sat beside her with a grin.
“I’m not your girlfriend,” Andie told him.
“Are you my friend?” His lips twitched.
“Sometimes.” She heard the caution in her voice.
“And you are always a girl, so that makes you my sometimes girl friend.” He took a deep breath. “And you might not think so, Andie, but when you get to Nairobi, you are going to need a friend.”
He picked up her hand and curled his fingers around hers. “Kenya is not Orange County. It’s much more uncivilized than even Trabuco Canyon.”
She raised her eyebrows and he rushed on. “There are lions, hyenas and jackals—and don’t even get me started on the hippos.” He squeezed her hand, sending waves of tingles up her arms. “You might think that they’re cute—sort of jolly looking creatures, but they’re not like elephants. They’re mean. And a lot faster than they look.”
She read the hope and questions in his eyes. She swallowed. “I’m so glad you’re here. You know, to protect me from the hippos.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled in a half smile. “I’ll make sure you’re safe,” he said in a dead serious tone. “You can trust me.”
“I can?”
“Maybe you won’t trust me all at once, but if you just let me be around you...especially in the evenings when the hippos come out, or when the jackals start to call. You’ll be glad I’m there.”
“And when I go back to Orange County?”
“There are jackals in Orange County, too.” He leaned back into his seat, a smile hovering on his lips. “But let’s just take it one dangerous day at a time.”
The plane began to roll forward, slow at first, but gathering speed as it headed for the end of the tarmac, and Andie felt the thrill of a new life rushing her way.
“I have to ask you something,” Whit said.
She raised her eyebrow at him, waiting.
“Can I kiss you?”
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PRAISE FOR KRISTY TATE
5.0 out of 5 stars
I read this through the night. As I read kept reading, I lost all track of time and only resurfaced at the end. I can't wait to see more adventures from this set of characters. Well done!
This review is from: On Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent (The Beyond series)
5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and fun historical romance
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms.Tate's book. From the very start I was held spellbound by Mercy's adventures. From beginning to end I was captivated by the suspense and romance.
This review is from: Stealing Mercy (Seattle Fire series)
5.0 out of 5 stars fast becoming an author for me to watch for in the contemporary mystery genre
In the second book that I have read from this author, she is fast becoming an author for me to watch for in the contemporary mystery genre. The Rhyme's Library is a clever murder mystery, rife with family and small-town secrets and an engaging, intelligent heroine at its center.
From The Rhyme’s Library
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